Electric outlet molding



Jan. 28, i936. A. P. DoRsr-:Y

ELECTRI C OUTLET MOLDING Filed Feb. 19, 1934 Snventor Alberi' T. Dorsey,

ttorneg Sii Patented Jan. 28, 1936 Unirse stares PATENT oFFlcE i claim.

This invention relates to an electrical outlet molding of that classwhich is intended to be installed in a room, adjacent to or attached tothe base-board, and either provided for in the building of the room orinstalled after the erection of the building, and the invention relatesmore particularly to an improvement over that shown, described andclaimed in United States Patent No. 1,929,547 issued on October l0,1933,

to Phillip d. Cassidy, and assigned to me.

The object of the present invention` is to provide a device ci this kindthat shall be not only simpliied but more practical and cheaper toconstruct than the construction shown in the above referred to patent.

ranother object-of the invention is to provide a molding ci this hindthat inay be easily installed in both new and old work.

Another object oi the invention is to provide a moiding that shall berigid, contain :few parts and be pleasing to the eye, conforming to thetrim ci the room and not being unduly conspicuons.

Another object oi the invention being to provide i a molding that may beeasily installed around corners, etc., and in which the electricalconnections may; be made quickly securely.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in certainnew and novel construction and combination ci parts as will hereinafterbe fully described and claimed, and further illustrated in theaccompanying drawing which forms a part hereof and in which like iiguresof reference refer to corresponding parts in all of the views, and it isunderstood that slight changes may be made without departing from thespirit ci the invention.

In the drawing: l Y

Figure l shows airont elevation of a partial strip or the molding, withone outlet plug in place.

Figure 2 shows a rear elevation oi the same, and discloses a feed cableconnection, a knock-out for the feed cable connection, and the method oisecuring the end of the assembly screw.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view oi' the molding taken on the line 3 3of Figure l, showing tllie means for holding the prongs oi' the outlet Dlig.

Figure 4 is a top plan view, partly in section to show the method ofattaching the feed cable and electrical current feed wires to the feederstrips of the molding.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line oi Figure 2 showingthe method of securing the parts together,

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view showing the application of the deviceto the base-board of the wall. l

Figure 7 is a similar view, but shows the molding as being formed withits own curved' trim molding to vtake the place of the usual wooden trimof the base-board.

Figure 8 is a detail view of a portion of one oi the current feedstrips, showing the method of attaching the feed wires thereto, and oneof the contact arms.

Figure 9 is a top plan View partly in section of the application of themolding to a mitred corner and the method employed for insulating thesame and making the proper electrical connections.

Referring to the drawing:

While 'i have shown the molding as being composed of a channel shapedcasing of metal to which is attached an insulated iront cam/ing the feedstrips and contacts for the prongs of the attachment plugs, it isunderstood that this molding may be of any. desired shape and size, andthat the diierent parts may be made from any suitable material and thatany suitable means may be employed for attaching the same to the wall orbase-board..

In the drawing, i have shown a metal casing lil, in the shape oi achannel with an open iront and formed with the front edges flanged as atli; while at suitable locations along the rear side the attaching spursl2 are formed from punchings from the top and bottom,

Also at predetermined locations upon the rear wall of the casing lli,are located the knock-outs i3 which may be removed for the feed cablebushing l@ and nuts l5 of the BX feed cable it.

Also formed in the rear wall of the casing lil at regular intervals arethe slots i'i within which are threaded the assembly bolts Hl which holdthe casing and the front together.

Within this casing and in contact therewith is placed an inner channelcomposed of insulating material such as ber i9.

The iront ofthe molding comprises a strip of insulating material havinga T-shaped cross secticn 2i), the arms of which are formed with thenotches or grooves 2l to accommodate the flanges H of the casing lll,yand to retain this front 2li in assembly with the casing IU, theT-secticn is formed with screw holes that register with the slots i1formed in the casing lil, and within these holes are mounted theassembly bolts I 8 which have'thelr heads countersunk into the front 2Gand their rear ends threaded into the slots i7,

the pitch of the screw thread being such that the thicjgness oi thematerial of the casing Ifwill 'catch the same; the reason for the slotI'I being that the end of the bolt It will be more easily located inassembling the'molding. j

The connection of the BX electrical feed cable is made to the molding atthe nearest knock-fout I3 to the location of said cable, and theknock-out I3 having been removed the end of the bushing I4 is insertedthrough the casing IB and the insulation I 9 and is retained ,by the.inner nut I5 andlocking nut 2 I; the T-section being cut away at thispoint by the electricien as shown in Figure 4. y

In the installationof the molding it is intended to place the same uponthe uppel` edge olf the hase-board 22 of the wall, with the prongs orspurs I2 back of theibase-board and also back of the wood molding 23, asshown in Figure 6.

As shown in Figure 7, the casing ID is formed with its own iinishmolding24 which may be attached byifthe nails 25.

The front is formed at regularly spaced locations with the slots 26 eachside of the T-section and which are for the prongs 2l oi the standardattachment plug 2'8. Y e

.ige the rear of the front 2li and adjacent the T- section are securedthereto by the tubular rivets 29 the two electrical feed strips 38,which are .formed at spaced intervals with the loops to which may beconnected the electrical wires;y and also to these feed strips 30 areattached by the strip; these'loops 3l being so spaced that some arealways adjacent to a knock-out I3.

Referring to Figure 9, when a mitre corner is lto be made, the molding,both front 29 and casing III is mitred in the usual manner by sawingthrough with a hack saw; the insulation I 9 is cut back as shown and aspecially formed corner 36 of insulating material is placed in thecorner thus formed in the casing it.'

rThe electrical connections around the corner from feed strip to feedstrip e@ are made by the wires 3l and 33 which are attached to suitableloops 3l 'in the feed strips 3D as shown in the drawing; i

This same method is employed when the pieces of' molding are abutted endto end, but when a dead end is reached as when a doorway is reached, thetop and bottoni of the casing Ylll is cutback, a portion of the frontand T-section 2@ removed and the back eno' bent forward to cover the endas shown in Figure 9. g f

In practice it is intended to constructthe molding in suitable lengths,having the contact springs and prong-slots at comparatively closeintervals apart, while the knock-outs and assembly screws will also :nespaced so that no matter where installed, ope of the knock-outs will bereadily reached by the BXY cable, and also the loops 3I for theconnecting wires are spaced so that they are always close to either thefeed wires or thereorner connecting wires.

EWhile 'these loops 3l retain the ends of the feed wires, these wiresshould also be secured in the usual manner by a soldered jointto theloop.

with, its wiring may be removed at any time from the casing IB after thesame has been installed in the wall.

Having thus described my invention. what I claim as new and desire vtoby Letters Patent, is: Y

An electrical outlet molding comprising a sheet metal casing including arear wall and upper and lower vertically spaced weils extendingtherefrom and having angularly disposed flanges on their free edges, afront closure member for the casing formed of insulating material andT-shape in cross section, the arms of the member having grooves in theirlongitudinal edges to receive the flanges of the casing, securingmembers passable through the member and adapted for securement in therear wall of the casing to hold the flanges in intimate engagement insaid grooves, feeding strips secured to the arms of the member,resilient contacts secured to the strips, said member having openingstherein for the passage of plug prongs adapted to engage the contacts.

ALBERT 'a Doneer.

25 By removing the assembly bolts I8, the front

